Physicochemical attributes of oils from seeds of different plants in Nigeria

The physicochemical qualities of oils from seeds of seven plants grown in Nigeria were evaluated. Physical characterization of the oils includes viscosity, state at room temperature, colour, specific gravity and refractive index. The results showed that they have different colors and are consistently liquid at room temperature. The viscosity of the oils varied; P. macrophylla had the highest viscosity of 19.55 cST while D. edulis had the least value of 11.00 cST. The specific gravity of all the oils ranged between D. edulis (0.84) and P. macrophylla (0.92). The oils were further characterized by the determination of the acid, iodine, saponification, ester and peroxide values. The molecular mean masses of the oils were also determined. Apart from C. inophyllum, the acid value of the oils (2.79-5.19 mg NaOH/g oil) suggests that they are nutritionally viable as oil sources. The iodine values of the oils (31.50-85.00 mg iodine/100 g) placed them in the non-drying class. The saponification values of all the seven oils (161.29-244.97 mg KOH/g oil) suggest their usefulness in the industry as shaving cream. KEY WORDS: Seed, Oil, Physico-chemical, Attributes, Plant, Nigeria Bull. Chem. Soc. Ethiop. 2010, 24(1), 145-149.